2024 Prize Winner

An Electronics Engineer by training had an illustrious career in Research, Marketing and business development. His journey on environment protection and Alternative Energy started in 1986 and is now completely devoted to the Bio Energy program. He Chaired the Task force on Biofuels in Karnataka. He later was made the Chairman of Karnataka State Biofuel development Board with the rank of a Minister.  He was instrumental in setting up 30 Biofuel information & demonstration centers in the state of karnataka. He engaged over 400,000 farmers to plant and nurture over 45 Million tree based oil seed species in the state of Karnataka and was the architect of the Karnataka state Biofuel policy.

He was appointed as advisor to the Government of India on Biofuels in 2014 and appointed Chairman of the Working group on Biofuels by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural gas; Government of India in 2015. He has been instrumental in drafting the Indian “National Biofuel Policy 2018” and many Biofuel initiatives in India. He has also played a catalytic role in the formation of Indo–EU cooperation in Advanced Biofuels and in the formation of the Biofuture platform. Partner in BEST Associates (Bio Energy for Sustainable transformation) founded in Feb 2021. He has been serving the Industry as an advisor to Indian federation of Green Energy (IFGE) and is the Chairman of the  IFGE CBG Producers Forum. He is also the founder Co-Chairman of the Low Carbon Biofuel Forum.